With the introduction of LEDs several years ago, outdoor lighting designers now have the choice of numerous color options for the outdoor lighting design. Most often, designers will choose warm white rather than neutral or cool white. While conducting design consultations, I am constantly told “we don’t want the blue look of LEDs”. My response is always the same….outdoor lighting typically is done with warm white lamps.

However, warm white still has its variations. A 2700 K lamp contrasted with a 3000 K lamp show noticeable differences.

2700 Kelvin LEDs

3000 Kelvin LEDs

At this point, the experience of the designer takes over. Some applications simply look cozier and more inviting with a warmer (2700K) look. Another school of thought is that uplights should be 3000K and downlights should be 2700k. Yet another philosophy is to use 3000K on architectural features and landscape lighting because it will be a “truer” color.

An experienced outdoor lighting designer understands that there is much more to a good design than simply illuminating architectural features on a home. Depending on the profile of the feature, the size, and the position, shadows will be created. The resulting shadows can be either stunning or distracting.

A few points to consider.

If architectural features are symmetric, the resulting shadow should also be symmetric. Carriage lights at the main entrance, and columns along the front of the house are prime examples. If fixtures are improperly positioned, the shadows will veer in different directions. It is much more pleasing to the eye to have identical shadows when possible.

Never create a shadow that obliterates other features. Once again, the carriage light is an example. The shadow should never be cast across a decorative foyer window. Likewise, shadows cast by landscaping and trees should not be cast on key architectural features.

Shadows from overhanging features such as awnings, false balconies, roofs, etc, should never be cast all the way to the roof line. Whenever possible, move the light away from the house to minimize this effect,

Never try to eliminate all shadows…just manage them effectively. This is the difference between a skilled lighting designer and someone who installs lights strictly for illumination.

Do you prefer a crisp, clean look when lighting flagpoles? With a little bit of creativity, gaudy fixtures can be eliminated, and replaced with recessed fixtures. This becomes a relatively easy task with the introduction of high output low voltage LED lights.

Our most recent application was to illuminate the flagpole at the Greystone Golf Club outside of Birmingham. It was an approximate 30′ flagpole. We selected fixtures that accommodated 10watt 15 degree LED PAR lamps. The photometrics of these lamps proved adequate for strong illumination at this distance.

By following a few simple guidelines, installation is relatively simple.

First, begin by creating a layout. Most times, three fixtures will adequately illuminate a flag pole. They should be equidistant from the pole and equidistant to each other.

Next, using a post hole digger, remove sod and dirt to the required depth for the fixture, allowing several inches for pea gravel. The gravel will facilitate better drainage.

Next, insert the fixture into the hole, ensuring that it will be “flush” with the sod line, so that mowers can pass over the top. Also be sure that the adjusting mechanism for the fixture will facilitate bulb adjustment toward the flag pole.

The next step is to clean debris off of the lens, and cover it with a clear plastic or glass cover. This cover will keep trash and debris from settling into the fixture.

The final step is to place a grated cover over the fixture. These covers are typically available in aluminum or brass. Brass is the recommended choice because it will be much more resilient and durable.

Once Spring arrives and the grass begins to green, these recessed fixtures will be virtually non-existent.

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Each year, The Best of Houzz Service awards are issued. To win this award, companies must be nominated by their customers. The various testimonials are reviewed by the Houzz staff, and they in turn, recognize deserving companies with this award. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Birmingham proudly accepts this award for 2014.

Be sure to check out houzz.com if you are planning a home improvement project. Additionally, you might like to stay abreast of new products and services. Houzz.com is the best site for this type of research.

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The Birmingham area has experienced a rebound in the amount of light commercial projects during 2013. There is also an increasing tendency that many of the new projects specify low voltage accent lighting. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives has been fortunate to be the beneficiary of 11 of these projects since January.

The feedback that we keep hearing from architects, contractors, and landscape architects is that “we want LEDs for this project”. During the past several years, the advantages of LED technology for outdoor lighting has been well documented. The reduced maintenance, longer lamp life, and lower operating costs are very attractive to building owners and management companies. Gone are the days of the icy blue look, because warm white LEDs have the same color rendition as their halogen counterparts. Additionally, the amount of lumens generated by low-wattage LED lamps is phenomenal. In many cases they are comparable to commercial grade line voltage fixtures. Since most commercial facilities opt to leave the lights on from dusk to dawn, it is more palatable since LEDs consume approximately 80% less power than halogen systems.

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About Me

My name is Marlin Bennetch and I am the owner of Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Birmingham, AL.
This blog is a place to share my tips on lighting design, installation and maintenance, as well as feature some interesting projects and events in the Birmingham area.